Dueling Banjos Hat Co. owner and country musician Josh Bogard creates something truly magical with felt, thread, leather, real turkey feathers that have been sustainably harvested and more. From hat crowns with skulls molded into them to cutouts of states, these incredible hats are more than something you simply wear on your head, they are wearable pieces of art.
As a kid I’ve always been into westerns and loved the Old West; out there you always see hats of various styles. As an adult, I became a musician and still held onto my love for hats, the two seemed to go hand-in-hand. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to perform in Florida for a hat maker who shared his craft with me. He guided me through the steps of what I needed to get started and I’ve now been making hats for a little over a year.
josh bogard
the man under the hat
Creating a handmade custom felt hat begins with the client choosing the blank felt, color and felt quality. My hats are primarily made out of beaver or rabbit felt. Then comes the sizing. Not everyone knows their hat size, so I suggest going to a local western store and getting sized by a professional. Once all of those details are confirmed, I size block the felt and the hat begins to come to life. That’s when the creative process starts. I consult with my clients until we have a unique design that fits their needs and personality. From the hat style, shape and crown to stitching, inner lining, colors from the sweatband, the hat band, adding feathers, stamping the felt and even adding authentic burn marks, everything is 100% custom. We can create any style hat that the artist or customer desires: traditional cowboy, flat brim, fedora, add in a pencil curl or other stylings and more. We also do custom styles; if you can dream it up, we can create it.
